Rodman Philbrick's ZANE AND THE HURRICANE: A STORY OF KATRINA
(9780545342384, $16.99) tells of a vacation planned for a boy and his
dog who journey from New Hampshire to New Orleans to meet unknown family
when Hurricane Katrina strikes. Zane finds himself living through
impossible conditions and his dog Bandit only gets him into more
trouble. His efforts to contact his family at home are thwarted and Zane
finds himself nearly alone in this engrossing, action-packed saga of
survival, recommended for advanced elementary to middle-grade readers.
Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed's NEVERWAS (9780545434188,
$17.99) is Book II of the Amber House trilogy, and will best be enjoyed
by readers of Book 1. Here Sarah has come to live at Amber House, her
family's estate, and finds past and present have become mixed up in
haunting ways. History has been rewritten and Sarah is haunted by
another time that never was even as she tries to settle into the House
and help her parents plan an exhibition. Can Sarah live in two
worlds--and must she sacrifice one world for another? A fine sequel to
AMBER HOUSE continues the timeslip adventure. Maggie Stiefvater's
SPIRIT ANIMALS (9780545522441, $12.99) is Book II of 'Hunted',
a series for advanced elementary to middle-grade readers set in the
world of Erdas, where only a few can summon a spirit animal. The bond
three such talents share with their animals is symbiotic and involves
mutual benefits; but what if there was a way to create such an animal--a
way involving giving a human partner all the control? The team has
barely come into their own when this challenge emerges, testing their
newfound abilities and animal co-relationships. Fans of the prior story
will find this a satisfying, involving sequel. Donna Freitas' GOLD
MEDAL WINNER (9780545643771, $16.99) tells of Esperanza Flores, who
looks forward to skating for the U.S. in the Olympics. But even as she
is on the verge of realizing her dreams, so she begins to see its
limitations, preventing her from leading an ordinary life and placing
her in the limelight with reporters following all her moves. Add
backbiting behind the scenes and competition jitters and you have a
realistic story of a girl harboring a secret that could place her at the
forefront of gold medal skaters. Scott Bly's SMASHER
(9780545141185, $16.99) tells of Charlie, who has never had a single
friend and invites the attention of bullies. For Charlie is unusually
gifted, harboring talents that won't be readily recognized in his
world. Charlie lives in a place where people with his gift are killed;
but this same gift is needed in the future and robotic girl Geneva finds
Charlie and brings him through time and space in a desperate gambit to
solve a computer code puzzle and stop a terrible future from evolving. A
different kind of thriller emerges that advanced teens will find
impossible to set aside. Cynthia Lord's HALF A CHANCE
(9780545935330, $16.99) tells of Lucy's family, who have just moved
to an old house on a New Hampshire lake when her dad decides to leave on
yet another business trip. When Lucy discovers he's judging a
photography contest, she decides to enter--and her quest for the perfect
subject leads her directly next door, to a boy who knows the area and
who harbors a secret. A fine story of achievement and salvation follows,
testing the definition of family ties. Trent Reedy's DIVIDED WE
FALL (9780545543675, $17.99) presents the viewpoint of a teen National
Guardsman of the future who finds himself in the middle of a conflict
that ends the United States of America. Mature teen readers are in for a
rollicking ride as Daniel finds himself in a strange new world entirely
of his making, and must find his way in a mixed up universe of different
values and new beginnings. All are solid leisure reads for young adults!

COPYRIGHT 2014 Midwest Book Review
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.